Colorado school plays host to Manning brothers

CHERRY HILLS VILLAGE, Colo. — This school year is the first for Neil Truglio in his new role as technical theater director at Kent Denver School. But before his stage was filled with teenagers practicing their lines, Truglio helped put on a different kind of show.

In March, Kent Denver was contacted by Omaha Productions, the entertainment company founded by former Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning. The team at Omaha had decided the concept for this year’s schedule reveal video of “Manningcast,” the Monday Night Football simulcast hosted by Peyton and his brother Eli Manning. The idea was “ManningCast: The Musical,” part of a (fictional) quest for the brothers to win a Tony Award.

“Catherine Ellis from Omaha Productions went to Kent,” Truglio said. “I think she thought ‘well Kent has a theater, a really nice one if I remember correctly.’ And so she reached out to Kent.”

The call came just weeks after Truglio was hired by Kent. He had previously worked in film video production. 

“I kept telling the Omaha Productions staff, ‘I think if you had called two weeks earlier the answer would’ve been no,’ because they just didn’t have anybody in the role to do it,” Truglio said. “The timing was kismet, and it worked out in everybody’s favor.”

After two months of preparing Kent’s stage, it was time to film. Enter, the Manning brothers.

“When they showed up it was game on,” Truglio said. “You think Peyton has a game face on Sundays, you should have seen him when we were shooting this production.”

Peyton and Eli only had four hours to film their scenes, but they showed up ready to go.

“They are pros, and it was fun and exciting when they were here. But it was game on for sure,” Truglio said.

Fast forward to Sept. 3, when Omaha released the finished product. The video went viral, racking up more than 2 million views on social media. 

Another hit for Omaha, and a spotlight on Kent’s stage.

“I was excited when I saw it, thinking about the students, and them being proud to say ‘hey, that’s where I go to school,'” Truglio said. “Hopefully, we did such a good job that if you don’t know Kent you’d have no idea that it wasn’t shot on a Broadway stage.”

As for the musical itself, Truglio was impressed.

“The music’s incredible! I was super impressed by the music,” he said. 

But what about that Tony?

“I think it was a one night only,” he said. “I don’t expect a long Broadway run.”

While Peyton and Eli may not have a future in theater, the musical will live forever online. The experience is also a memory Truglio won’t forget.

“There really wasn’t a day that it wasn’t fun,” he said. “I look back on it quite fondly.”